DOR, SC Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation to host open house on Nov. 20

12:11 PM, November 19, 2012 |

By Angelia Davis

Filed Under

PRESS RELEASE:
Direct from South Carolina Department of Corrections

Columbia, S.C.)…The South Carolina Department of Corrections will join with the South Carolina Committee of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (SC TRF) on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 from 10:00am until 1:00pm, in hosting an open house at the SC TRF barn located at Wateree River Correctional Institution in Rembert, S.C.

The open house will showcase more than a dozen retired, thoroughbred race horses which are currently available for adoption. The public is invited to attend the open house to see the horses and to learn more about the unique Second Chances groom training program housed there.

SCDC director William R. Byars, Jr., SCTRF president William Cox, and Reid McClellan, CEO of Groom Elite, are among the dignitaries who will be in attendance to talk about the significance of this program for both the horses and the inmates who work with them.

In the Second Chances program, which was begun at the Department of Corrections in 2004, carefully screened prisoners receive hands-on instruction in the care, feeding, and handling of retired racing horses. Those inmates who complete the training program can return to life outside the prison with a highly marketable skill in the equine industry and with the opportunity to quickly become contributing members of society

The SC TRF currently has over 40 horses at the Wateree training facility. Many are ready to begin new careers as hunter/jumpers, western pleasure horses, trail mounts or just as pasture companions. Staff will be available at the open house to advise those who may be interested in the adoption process.

“The South Carolina Department of Corrections is proud to partner with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation on this worthwhile project,” stated director Byars. “We are not only extending the life of these beautiful animals, we are also helping to create a new life and career for the inmates enrolled in the Second Chances program.” William Cox agrees and calls the SC TRF a truly unique rescue organization. “Not only do we provide a safe and secure retirement for these remarkable equine athletes, the Second Chances groom training offers an excellent opportunity for hope and renewal for the prisoners involved here at Wateree River CI.”

For more information on the South Carolina Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and the Second Chances groom training program, photos of horses available for adoption, and adoption information, please visit www.trfsc.org .

The SC TRF barn is located just outside Wateree River Correctional Institution on Highway 261 in Rembert. Those attending the open house are advised to bring a valid driver’s license or a photo ID.